PLANO, Texas -- After helping Southeastern Louisiana post its best regular-season record in nearly 30 years and capturing a share of its first-ever Southland Conference men's basketball championship, four Lions were named to the 2004 Southland Conference team in a release by the conference office Sunday.

In addition to the four players, Southeastern head coach Billy Kennedy was named the league's Coach-of-the-Year after guiding the Lions to a 19-8 record -- their best record since going 21-7 in 1972-73.

Named to the first-team were senior Amir Abdur-Rahim and junior Nate Lofton. They were joined on the team by senior point guard Michael Gardener, who was a second-team selection and Terry West, who was an honorable mention pick.

Abdur-Rahim, a senior from Atlanta, Ga., finished the regular-season eighth in the league in scoring at 15.1 points per game and was fifth in free throw percentage (.809) and 3-pointers made per game (2.30). The 6-foot-3 guard, who was a Preseason First-Team pick, was named Second Team All-SLC the previous two seasons.

Joining Abdur-Rahim on the first team was Lofton, who was also voted as Newcomer-of-the-Year by the league's head coaches and one media representative from each university. In his first season as a Lion, the 6-10 Lofton averaged a double-double with 13.1 points and a league-leading 10.3 rebounds while ranking third in the league in field goal percentage (.599) and blocked shots (1.37).

Gardener, a 5-11 guard from Detroit, led the league in assists (5.00) and was eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.396) while finishing the regular-season second on the team in scoring average (13.3) and fourth in field goal percentage (.447). Gardener scored a career-high 33 points in the Lions' regular-season finale against Texas-San Antonio.

West, a 6-6 senior from Camilla, Ga., was the Lions' fourth-leading scorer (12.7) and second-leading rebounder (4.8) while finishing third on the team in field-goal percentage (.484). A Second Team Preseason All-SLC selection, West scored a career-high 31 points in a win over Morgan State at the Holiday Stores/Big R Classic in Bozeman, Mont., and was named to the All-Tournament team after setting single-game records for points in a game (31) and tournament (50).

In his fifth season as head coach, Kennedy guided the Lions to their best record since joining Division I their first conference title since winning the 1984-85 Gulf Star Conference crown. The Lions, who recorded their first winning season since going 15-12 in 1995-96, posted their best record since joining Division I in 1980-81.

LeRoy Hurd of Texas-San Antonio, who led the league in scoring for the second consecutive year, was named Player of the Year and UTSA's Kurt Attaway was named Freshman-of-the-Year.

FIRST TEAM
LeRoy Hurd, Texas-San Antonio, F, 6-7, Sr., Moss Point, Miss.
Nate Lofton, Southeastern, C, 6-10, Jr., New Orleans, La.
Derrick Obasohan, Texas-Arlington, F, 6-7, Sr., Houston, Texas
Amir Abdur-Rahim, Southeastern, G, 6-3, Sr., Atlanta, Ga.
Antonio Burks, Stephen F. Austin, F, 6-5, Sr., Texarkana, Texas

SECOND TEAM
Joe Thompson, Sam Houston State, G, 6-4, Jr., Baytown, Texas
Terry Conerway, Texas State, G, 6-5, Sr., Cleburne, Texas
Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern State, G, 6-2, So., Dubberly, La.
Willie Depron, Nicholls State, G, 6-1, Jr., White Castle, La.
Michael Gardener, Southeastern, G, 5-11, Sr., Detroit, Mich.

THIRD TEAM
Donnie Beacham, Texas-Arlington, F, 6-5, Sr., Dallas, Texas
Clifton Lee, Northwestern State, F, 6-7, So., Boyce, La.
Jerrick Oliver, McNeese State, 6-7, Sr., Riverdale, Ga.
Larry Parker, Louisiana-Monroe, 6-7, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Terrell Petteway, Lamar, 6-7, Sr., Galveston, Texas

HONORABLE MENTION
Josh Naylor, Texas State; Stephen Thomas, UTA; Marcus Clark, SFA; Edward Garriett, MCN; Raymond Anthony, LU; Wilder Auguste, SHSU; Justin Harbert, UTSA; Terry West, Southeastern; Rapheal Posey, UTSA.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- LeRoy Hurd, Texas-San Antonio

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR -- Nate Lofton, Southeastern

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR -- Kurt Attaway, Texas-San Antonio

COACH OF THE YEAR -- Billy Kennedy, Southeastern